Veteran Homelessness in the United States

Veterans and Homelessness

Veterans are valued members of society and they have played vital roles in protecting the nation’s stability. War-related trauma causes a variety of problems, including mental health issues. It is clear that US veterans are overrepresented, especially among the homeless. They are also at a greater risk of being homeless than civilians. Homelessness is inextricably related to a number of health problems, either accompanying or inducing them, and thus becomes an influence. As a result, they could complicate their care, leading to further complications. Therefore, having a better understanding of the homeless situation among the veterans is important in addressing the problems among the veteran population. This This study was drawn from the thesis that mental health of veterans is related to homelessness.

Government Failure and the Role of Stakeholders

Even though there are different contributing risk factors to homelessness among this population, the government has failed in addressing the veterans’ concerns. Therefore, it is significant for the government to cooperate with other stakeholders to address the issue of mental health among the veterans. This is because it tends to impact negatively on the general welfare of the veterans.

Unmet Mental Health Needs and Other Risk Factors

Homelessness among the veterans is linked to different unmet mental health needs in addition to increased risk of mortality and morbidity. Veterans’ incapability to take care of their families can result in anger, stress, shame, and depression. They are further forced to tackle physical and mental health issues such as substance abuse, traumatic brain damage, and posttraumatic stress disorder, yet they have minimal access to support from friends and family members. Additionally, they are incapable of obtaining quality health care. Other contributing risk factors include family problems, mental health, and substance abuse. The family problems include strained relationship and lack of support from the members, because of mental or physical health issues. Financial stress might emerge from inaccessible affordable housing. Furthermore, the job skills developed while in the military might fail to be applied in the civilian workforce contributing to low wages, unemployment, insufficient medical benefits, and no medical insurance. Therefore, a holistic approach to addressing the problem will result in long-term solutions.

Conclusion

In sum, it is evident that veterans are at a risk of being homeless due to various factors associated with their mental health, lack of support, substance abuse among other issues. Further research should be carried out to determine specific steps to tackle mental illness among veterans in order to reduce homeless rates. On the same note, if the basic needs of the veterans are unmet, it is impossible to provide them with other basic needs such as housing, which impacts negatively on their physical or mental health. The key is providing the veterans with sufficient information pertaining to health and where to seek help. The change will foster new possibilities, and even though the government has a role to ensure that the veterans are well taken care of, society too has a role to play. This includes taking necessary steps to ease the financial challenges, physical and psychological effects. The society can accelerate not only the efforts but also generate the camaraderie to tackle the housing problems in the modern society. The present research expounded on the findings and evidence that prove different factors contribute to veterans’ homelessness. It is also recommendable to conduct further research on the topic to generate more findings to validate the present study.